• Pre-heat combi-oven to 220°C fan-forced level 4.
• Prepare a blanching pot, fill a large saucepan with a lid with water and place on back right burner on high heat to boil.

Charred Vegetable Stock

• Pre-heat pressure cooker to Keep Warm setting.
• For the Charred Vegetable Stock, place wombok and brown onion cut side up on a gastro-tray lined with baking paper.
• Drizzle with some vegetable oil and massage into the vegetables. Place in the combi-oven to char for approximately 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, on a separate ½ gastro-tray, place sliced carrot, whole spring onion whites and fresh shiitakes in a flat layer, toss with some vegetable oil to coat and place in the same oven to sear. Removing after approximately 10 minutes, or until a suitably dark roast has been achieved. Ensure there is enough gap between trays in the combi-oven so that vegetables do not steam.
• In a large saucepan with a lid over high heat, bring chicken stock to the boil.
• In a medium nonstick frypan, heat approximately 25g vegetable oil until shimmering. Sauté the sliced ginger and garlic without colour until fragrant.
• Add the dark green spring onion lengths to the frypan and stir. Then add the fermented tofu and sauté for another minute.
• Add all of the charred vegetables to the warmed pressure cooker pot, along with the fresh daikon radish, dried shiitake and kombu.
• Then add the sautéed spring onion mixture and the hot stock. Secure the lid, then set the pressure cooker to high heat for approximately 23-25 minutes and press the ‘start cooking’ button.
• Change combi-oven function to 110°C, 100% steam, fan 2.
• After the stock has cooked under pressure for approximately 23-25 minutes, release the pressure. Once pressure has been released, carefully remove the lid to avoid the steam. Strain the stock using a fine strainer into a large jug and set aside. Discard solids.

Runny Eggs

• Prepare an icebath in a large bowl.
• Pierce the base of each egg with a fine sharp pointed skewer.
• Using a small metal spider, place the eggs into the blanching pot of boiling water and stir clockwise continuously for 1 minute. Cease stirring and cook eggs for a further 5 minutes.
• Transfer eggs into icebath to cool and set aside.

Morel Duxelle

• For the Morel Duxelle, remove the stems and very finely dice the shiitake mushroom. Then finely slice the pre-soaked morels crossways.
• Heat a medium non-stick frypan over high heat until very hot, add olive oil and all mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium and sauté until deeply golden, approximately 15 minutes.
• Once morel mix is golden, deglaze with charred vegetable stock. Once reduced, add shiro miso, dark soy, and fermented tofu. Stir to combine, and season with pepper, and a pinch of sugar to taste.
• Weigh out 50g for the Spinach Tofu Mousseline and set aside.
• Transfer the remainder to a small bowl, place onto a black plastro prep tray and set aside in the fridge until required.

Caramelised Zucchini

• Prepare a fresh blanching pot, fill a clean large saucepan (with lid) with water and place on high heat to boil.
• Trim and slice the zucchini in quarters lengthways, then chop into 5mm slices and set aside.
• Heat a small saucepan over high heat. Add olive oil, the zucchini and some salt to season. Reduce heat to medium and cook until fully caramelised, approximately 25-30 minutes, stirring and pressing down from time to time to break up the zucchini and create a pasty consistency.
• When zucchini is pasty and a dark caramel colour, deglaze with charred vegetable stock, then season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Allow to cool before transferring the caramelised zucchini to a piping bag and set aside in the black plastro tray in the fridge.

Spinach Tofu Mousseline

• Prepare another icebath in a large bowl.
• Blanch the spinach in the prepared boiling water for approximately 10 seconds, remove with a large metal spider and refresh in the icebath. Drain spinach through a sieve and squeeze out until thoroughly dry.
• Chop the firm tofu into cubes then place with the blanched spinach and morel duxelle in a ninja blender, press Start and blend until a very smooth consistency, cleaning down the sides as required.
• If the mixture has warmed during blending, place the sealed cannister in an icebath until cold.
• Add the egg, egg white, and fermented tofu, then the cooled spinach mixture. Pulse in the Ninja blender until well combined.
• When fully incorporated, add the cream and vegetarian oyster sauce, season with salt and pulse for no longer than 10 seconds to incorporate.
• Transfer into a piping bag, place onto the black plastro prep tray in the fridge.
• Discard blanching pot.

Shallot Lily Bulb Rice

• For the Shallot Lily Bulb Rice, on a chopping board, using a rolling pin, roll over or gently bash the lily bulb pieces. Then, in the bowl of a rice cooker, stir lily bulb pieces together with the rice to combine, and cover with the charred vegetable stock. Set the rice cooker to Quick Cook, press Start and set a separate timer for approximately 23 minutes.
• Reserve 100 g of the remaining charred vegetable stock for the beurre monté in a plastic container with a lid and place on the black plastro prep tray in the fridge. The remainder of the stock may be discarded.
• Meanwhile, finely slice the banana shallot, and place in a small bowl, then combine with the fish sauce, sugar, olive oil, black pepper and chervil and set aside to marinate briefly.
• When the rice is ready, transfer immediately to a large metal tray and allow to air dry at room temperature for approximately 15 minutes.
• When cool, transfer into a medium metal bowl, stir through the shallot mixture, Taste for seasoning and set aside at room temperature.

Steamed Cabbage Leaves

• For the Cabbage Leaves, flip the Savoy cabbage so the cut stem is facing upwards. Use a birds beak paring knife to gently remove each leaf, keeping it whole and completely intact as much as possible. 1 large perfect outer leaf and 7 other leaves will be required for the Chou Farci.
• Wash any dirt from the leaves then place leaves on perforated gastro-trays in a single layer and steam in combi-oven for 4-5 minutes, until the leaves are bright green and tender.
• Set aside and allow to air dry at room temperature.

Confit Shallots

• Make a cartouche out of baking paper to cover a mini saucepan.
• For the Confit Shallots, brunoise the shallots, then melt the butter in a mini saucepan over low heat on the smallest hob on the stove.
• Add the shallots to the saucepan, stir to coat, then cover with a cartouche. Cook over low heat for approximately 10 minutes, or until very soft but still retaining shape and starting to caramelise.
• Strain the confit shallots over a small bowl to collect the butter, then transfer the shallots to a small glass bowl and set both aside at room temperature.

To Assemble the Chou Farci

• When cool enough to handle, place the steamed cabbage leaves onto the chopping board and use a rolling pin to gently crush the spines and flatten out the leaves.
• Choose the most perfect looking cabbage leaf and make a 2cm V shaped incision at the base of the leaf to remove the fibrous core and neaten the base.
• Cut a sheet of plastic wrap the size of the cutting board and place the leaf vein-side up in the centre. Lift the plastic wrap and cabbage leaf and place into a 12cm x 4.5cm chefs ring to line, pressing the leaf in firmly and ensuring there is at least 2cm of overhang.
• Use an 11cm ring cutter to cut at least 7 circles of cabbage. Reserve leaf scraps.
• Keeping the eggs underwater as you do so, carefully peel the eggs and set aside, one perfect egg is required.
• Into the chefs ring lined with clingwrap and a blanched cabbage leaf, pipe a 80g layer of spinach tofu mousseline, then place 2 cut rounds of cabbage on top.
• Add a 55g layer of shallot lily bulb rice on top and use the egg to gently form an indent.
• Place the egg dead in the centre, laying top to bottom in line with the central core of the cabbage leaf.
• Snip an egg sized hole from the middle of 2 cut rounds of cabbage by folding in half, snipping the middle and cutting out an egg shaped diamond. Place over the egg. Cover with 60g of morel duxelle.
• Snip a smaller egg sized hole from the middle of 2 cut rounds of cabbage and place over the morel duxelle. Pipe a 100g layer of caramelised zucchini to cover the egg.
• Place the last cabbage round over the top of the caramelised zucchini to cover, then pull all of the overhanging cabbage leaf inwards to fold over the base.
• Gather the edges of the clingwrap to the centre and twist, whilst also pressing the chou farci very gently to cement the shape.
• Gently flip over the chou farci onto the palm of your hand and transfer, still inside the chefs ring, onto a flat perforated gastro tray.
• Place wrapped chou farci into the combi oven set to steam for approximately 17 minutes, or until the mousseline has firmed and is set to the touch.

Charred Garlic Chive Butter

• For the Charred Garlic Chive Butter, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter with the salt on high speed until pale and creamy.
• Add the charred garlic chive purée and the parsley purée and continue to beat until smooth and well incorporated. If the mixture is too cold and not incorporating well, a blow torch can be used to gently warm the outside of the mixer bowl whilst beating.
• Add the confit shallots, almond meal and mustard and incorporate.
• To remove the air from the charred garlic chive butter, place the mixer bowl in a commercial vac-seal machine, bring down the lid and press the ‘stop vac’ button when the butter rises to the top edge of the container, ensuring the butter does not overflow. Repeat the process again until all air is removed and the butter is able to complete a full vacuum cycle without overflowing. Place in the fridge to chill briefly.

Fragrant Chilli Oil

• Place oil, ginger, star anise, cardamom pods and spring onion into a large saucepan. Cook over high heat until oil is fragrant and ginger and spring onion reach a deep caramel colour, approximately 2-3 minutes.
• Very carefully, as it will spit, in 2-3 batches add the peppercorns to the sizzling oil and cook until all moisture is cooked out and the temperature of the oil reaches approximately 170°C.
• Place the Korean red pepper powder into a large metal bowl and carefully pour the hot oil over the top to submerge. Set aside to infuse at room temperature.

To Finish

• To create a log from the charred garlic chive butter, lay a large square of plastic wrap on the bench. Use a pastry scraper to scrape the butter out into a roughly 16cm line, then roll it up tightly in the wrap and secure the ends, forming a log. Place on the black plastro tray with the weighed out charred vegetable stock, and transfer to the fridge until required.
• Pour the fragrant chilli oil through a small sieve into a small measuring jug and discard solids. Then transfer oil to a small serving jug.
• Carefully unwrap the steamed chou farci and transfer to a serving plate and baste with the reserved confit shallot butter.

END OF COOK

At the end of the cook you should have:

• 100g charred vegetable stock in the fridge
• wrapped log of charred garlic chive butter in the fridge
• fragrant chilli oil in a serving jug at room temperature
• steamed chou farci on a serving plate at room temperature

Plating after break – at cook bench.

Equipment Required: Small whisk, stick blender, scales, chefs knife, small saucepan, small pizza tray, chopping board

To assemble at the cook bench:

Garlic Chive Beurre Monté

• For the Garlic Chive Beurre Monté, pour the charred vegetable stock into a small saucepan and heat on low until just simmering.
• Slice the charred garlic chive butter into rounds and place on a small tray.
• Whilst whisking to emulsify over very low heat, add enough of the charred garlic chive butter to create a pourable velvety smooth consistency.
• Blitz with a stick blender and transfer the beurre monté into a serving jug.

END OF PLATE UP

At the end of the plate up you should have:

• Steamed Chou Farci on a serving plate with serving jug of Garlic Chive Beurre Monté and serving jug with spoon of Fragrant Chilli Oil.

To Serve in the Tasting Room

• Pour the warm beurre monté around the base of the chou farci, spoon some fragrant chilli oil over the beurre monté and serve immediately.